It’s only a blackface social media disaster. Calm yo tits
Each time Dr Mumbo witnesses a social media disaster, he naively assumes it will be the last.
After all, surely people will learn this time?
Actually, no. No they won’t.
Take N2 Extreme Gelato. They still haven’t got the memo about blackface.
And the fact that – as night follows day – customers will find jokes about blackface offensive. And get cross.
So, the promotion of N2’s Honey Charcoal Vanilla gelato did not go down well when the brand posted to Instagram a picture of a white hand covered in chocolate powder holding a cone, asking: “Is it still considered blackface if it’s just your hand?”
The response was perhaps predictable to anybody except for N2’s social media manager. “You’re actually fucked. Well done,” one follower informed the brand.
N2 on Instagram
Over on the brand’s Facebook page, where the same image and message had also been posted, things were going just as badly.
Which of course, social media 101 tells us is a good moment to own the blunder, apologise and move on.
Or, in N2’s case, change the caption and hope that nobody notices.
They noticed.
The same unacknowledged change went even more badly over on Facebook.
It would appear to Dr Mumbo that the people at N2 don’t realise that Facebook posts’ edit histories are visible to the outside world.
Still, given that N2’s slogan promises “we make no apologies”, perhaps the whole thing is on brand.
After all, somebody has to tap into that lucrative gelato-loving racist segment.
4.30pm update: Aaaand there’s the delayed apology…
And thus the social media disaster cycle is completed once more.
Who’s next?
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What is racist about mentioning blackface?
Your article is racist. How dare you write an article about a brand that mentioned blackface on social media. Trivialising racism. Disgusting.
Seriously though, the post wasn’t funny, cute, or in any way appropriate, but these hair-triggered idiots on social media really need to learn what is racism and what isn’t. So should your writers.
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The post was offensive – I found it offensive. It was racist – of course it was. I dont think the article was offensive – nor the people commenting about it online.
The N2 Extreme gelato crew have, at the very least outed themselves as dicks.
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I’m tired to hearing that the person who posted it has been suspended, fired ect. Can’t it be we’ve learnt from this and will make changes moving forward.
Also a little FYI you’ve a typo in an important part the article. “Is it still considered blackface of it’s just your hand?” shouldn’t it be “Is it still considered blackface if it’s just your hand?”. Please don’t overreact and suspend or fire the writer.
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Thanks for the comment Jackie.
Typo now fixed. I can confirm we have not fired Dr Mumbo for his error.
Can one of the racehorses in this year’s Melbourne Cup please be called “Calm Yo Tits”?
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Obviously Bait… Bit of a non story for some Gelato? I’m so offended I will stop consuming Gelato in winter but come November I’m all over that shit.
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This is sexist as well right? “Calm your tits”??
or maybe fatist… for all those dudes out there with manboobs who have eaten toom much full cream gelato.
Money on this being an edgy publicity stunt. Bait taken hook and sinker. Get over it you wowsers.
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@ghost – you just won the internet, or at least this small part of it
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This is a scam, lowest form of free advertising. “They still haven’t got the memo about blackface.” – they got the memo and didn’t just play on, they made it the game plan… They’re playing you Mumbrella, go sniffing around. I doubt if they’re using this type of stunt they’re paying the pawns enough to “keep it shut”.
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Politically Correct Extremism. Regressive left. Fascist Liberalism.
All words the alt-right throw around with gay abandon.
No wonder Nicholas Christakis and his wife were forced to resign – the politically correct have completely lost control.
And I thought the temperance movement did some damage…….
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I don’t think a company would use racism as a publicity stunt for gain. That’s purely reserved for presidential runs.
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First, there must be a racist comment or a racist intent. If there is no malice or anti-race behavior or intent, then there is no racism.
Skin colour is a fact, blackface is a fact, theatrically it has been a standard for hundreds, probably thousands of years, which has been used by many hundreds of people to depict a fact of life, and though many have abused it and used it for racist reasons, not all have done so, or intended anything but respect.
A generation that did not experience Mississippi, Dallas Texas, the destruction of Paul Robeson’s career, Bussing, Marin Luther King, or the dreadful behaviour of successive South African governments, is today screaming “Racist” on Facebook and etc, every time Othello is cast with a white actor, or anyone dares to find humour or irony in racial differences.
Racism is abhorrent, but racial recognition as a fact of life, and as a set of patterns in the mosaic of life, is not racism. Racial, race, racial differences, are not the same thing as racist or racism.
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You want racism go and check out 4chan or worse set up Tor and go hunting on the Dark Webs. The sanitised social media spaces are crawling with easily offended children with the narrowest social perceptions. Sorry people Q & A is on and Chris Bowen is being a entertaining cardboard cutout…
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amen.
since when is black shameful? You have to actually do or say something offensive.
I once imitated Prince Charles and no one minded. But when I did the same as Chubby Checker, there was something wrong with that!!??
Companies like N2 can so easily get free publicity because there are so many so-called politically correct judges out there.
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The original post didn’t actually contain any reference to blackface at all. The caption was first amended in response to a early comment that accused them of racism/blackface (hence why the caption is phrased in such a way) and anarchy ensued.
Discriminatory intent = no
Handled poorly = yes
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